Operation Safed Sagar during Kargil conflict was a trailblazer, established deterrent value of calibrated air strikes: IAF

Operation Safed Sagar, the Indian Air Force's codename for its air operations during the 1999 Kargil War, was a trailblazer in many ways and proved that air power could decisively alter the course of battle without crossing international boundaries, IAF said on Monday.

- TDG NETWORK

The operation was launched on May 26, 1999, marking the first large-scale use of air power in Kashmir since 1971 and demonstrated the effectiveness of limited use of air assets in a localised conflict.

IAF said in a post on X that never before had an air force been tasked with such high-altitude precision operations in rugged mountainous terrain. The video accompanying the post listed the air assets used during the operation, which was aimed at flushing out Pakistani regulars and intruders who had occupied Indian positions along the LoC in the Kargil sector.